He removed his top hat and bowed at the Royal party as their coach went past.

The Queen was wearing a powder-blue coat dress and matching hat with white gloves on the last day of the meeting at the Berkshire racecourse.

Later it was Eugenie’s turn for duty as she presented a cup to the owners of Maybe, which won the Chesham Stakes, the first race of the day.

Afterwards the Princess, whose figure-hugging dress showcased her shapely figure, retired to the stands to watch the rest of the day’s action.

Luckily she dodged the afternoon’s heavy downpours that threatened to turn the day into a washout.

Fashion parade: Eugenie started Ascot in a pretty turquoise dress before going for something more demure on day four of the races as she arrived in polka dots

Style disaster: Eugenie and her sister Princess Beatrice attracted a lot of criticism for the outfits they chose for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in April

Racegoers were forced to wear bright blue plastic galoshes over their shoes to protect them from the rain and mud, while others improvised with plastic bags as the strict rules for the Royal Enclosure were relaxed to allow any type of footwear.

But protected in the stands, Eugenie proved that she had inherited a love of horse racing from the Queen and her great-grandmother, the late Queen Mother.

During the afternoon, the Princess, who was in the Royal carriage procession on Tuesday, the first day of the meeting, could be seen checking a form book and cheering on her selections.

Grand entrance: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, made their entrance during one of the rare sunny moments during the day

Congratulations: The queen presents the trophy to the winning jockey of Society Rock, Pat Cosgrave, after victory in the Golden Jubilee Stakes

Eugenie took a break from the excitement to whisper intimately into the ear of her boyfriend.

She has been dating the 24-year-old, a former pupil at £27,000-a-year Stowe public school, since last February.

The Royal Family weren’t the only ones enjoying the Ascot hospitality yesterday.

Sheltering from the rain: Cilla Black and Sir Cliff Richard sheltered under a huge umbrella as they made their way into Ascot

That's better! The pair grin for the cameras as they enjoy being in the dry

Celebrities who flocked to the final day of the festival, which celebrated its 300th anniversary this year, included actor Martin Clunes, 49, and singer Sir Cliff Richard, 70.

They were joined by Cilla Black, 68, wearing a mustard-coloured dress and matching jacket topped off with a wide-brimmed brown hat.

While many tried to make the best of the situation by hiding under umbrellas, some of the most fashion-conscious women even opted for blue covers to wear on their feet to ensure their shoes remained dry.

Having fun, ladies? A group of women try to make the best of the situation as they sit under their umbrellas

Save my shoes! A group of particularly fashion-conscious women wear blue covers on their shoes to keep them dry